Minnesota sees April job surge; jobless rate stays at 3.8 percent
Minnesota employers added 15,600 jobs in April, a huge monthly gain. Still, the state's 12-month job growth continues to lag the nation, state economic officials said Thursday.
The state's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate held steady in April at 3.8 percent compared to a 5 percent national unemployment rate.
However, job growth in the state rose 1.1 percent from a year ago, compared with a 1.9 percent growth rate nationally, the state Department of Employment and Economic Development said in a statement releasing the data.
"The surge in hiring last month points to continued growth in the state economy," DEED Commissioner Shawntera Hardy said in a statement. "Despite a tighter labor market, employers are finding workers to fill their payrolls."
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The April jobs were the most for a month since September 2013. March employment figures, meanwhile, were revised downward slightly from 2,900 jobs lost to 3,200 jobs lost, the department said.
April gains were led by professional and business services with 6,700 new jobs.
Over the past year, education and health services led the state with 17,801 jobs added. Other Minnesota industries gaining jobs from a year ago were trade, transportation and utilities (up 4,820), leisure and hospitality (up 2,907), construction (up 2,701), professional and business services (up 2,686), financial activities (up 2,638), manufacturing (up 1,881) and other services (up 163).
Sector job losses the past year included logging and mining (down 1,618), information (down 1,481) and government (down 971), DEED added.